A unique hybrid of museum and student commons, the DeBruce Center at the University of Kansas design by Gould Evans creates a permanent home for the historic two-page document on which, in 1891, James Naismith outlined The Original 13 “Rules of Basket Ball.” Using The Rules document as a point of departure, the architecture focuses on the creation of an immersive experience to tell the story of the University’s role in the development of the game.
Perforated scrim concepts were developed in order to conceal the preexisting adjacent parking garage. The University has a tradition of "Waving the Wheat" at athletic functions in which fans sway their arms from side to side to give the illusion of a dancing wheat field. Concepting moved from literal references of KU's basketball history to a more abstracted nod to the University's tradition of Waving the Wheat.